The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1887-01-14

from the Statute sDookA
The passage by the Senate 81 the bill
repeating the Tenure-of-O Office act
terminates q usurpation by that body
which has extended over q period Of
nearly twenty years. Under that law
ne power Of removal was taken from
the President and lodged In the Senate,
and though the act has not been NJ all
times enforced II has served at inter-
walls as 4 refuge for the fcudal lords Of
the Senate when they saw iii 10 set
themselves up as superior to the
Chief Magistrate.
This act was passed in 1867 by .
Congress containing Republican ma
jorty Of more than two-thirds and was
designed TO keep in Office the Repub-
li:ans Of whom Andrew johnson
sought to rid himself. Johnson's
break with his party, which had hardly
vet become warm In the offices. pre-
cipitated a fractional quarrel Of unex-
amplcd bitterness. His policy was not
| the policy Of the great party chiefs who
not long before had doubted the wis
/! dom Of rc-clccting Lincoln. lest he, too,
might develop ideas not in harmony
with those Of the more extreme
members Of his party, and to pre-
vent his carrying it out all the en-
ergics Of the organization were direct
ed. The possession Of the offices being
rs important u matter in the cstima-
| ton Of the various leaders rs any other,
they passed the Tenure-of-Oilice act in
1867. for the purpose Of depriving the
President Of the power Of making
changes in offices without the consent
Of the Senate. As it stood originally
this act practically took from the Pres
ident his constitutional powers and
| lodged them in the Senate. Without
| its consent he could not even remove
an official VINO was incompetent, cor
rupt or neglected.. Except by its per-
! mission he could not change his own
/ Cabinet. 1t was intended to shackle
an executive officer who could not 9TH
erwise be controlled. If he would not
obey the wishes Of the party which had
elected him that party, having absc-
lutte control Of both branches Of Con-
gress. would deprive him Of the ability
to execute the Office which had been
conferred upon him. Mr.. johnson
vetoed the act, hut it became law
by the two-thirds vote Of partisan
Congress. and thus the usurpation be-
gan.
r. 49, .:<~l.ts<..x - tl,s 1oxy Mr.
johnson was impeachcd, and in its
support great party, mindful only Of
partisan advantage and the spoiIs Of
Office, fixed in American history page
as dark rs any that is to be found there.
But for the removal by Mr.. johnson Of
Secretary Of War Stanton and the APP
pointment Of General Lorenzo Thomas
as Secretary ad interim it is not likely
that the impeachment proceedings
would have beer undertaken. Every
thing else depended upon the mainte-
nance Of these charges. and as they
failed all else failed. The fury
Of party-might be depended upon
to pass laws overriding the con-
stitution and degrading the Pres
idential Office to the level Of q
Senatorial appendage, but when il was
proposed as penalty for the violation
Of such laws to depose the President
and put in his place q chieftain who
could have no legal right to the place
there was revolt on the part Of several
Senators Of conscience and ability, and
the country was spared the browning
infamy Of witnessing the disposition Of
. Chief Magistrate whose principal
offense had been the observance Of his
oath to support the constitstion and
transmit his Office unimpaired to his
successors.
Immediately on the Inauguration Of
General Grant the party necessity Of 4
Tcnurc-of-Of act disappeared. Boil
houses Of Congress we're Republican
Is was the Executive Department. ans
one Of the first acts Of the House o.
Representatives was TO pass bill re
pealing the laws which had been passed
for the purpose Of Stacking johnson
But the Senate, having tasted blood
was not prepared thus early to relin
quish the power which it had usurpcd
II failed to act on the House bill. Ii
his first message President Grant. whs
in Johnson's day had supported tn
Tenure-of-OfIice bill, attacked it in un
measured terms, saying that lit wa
incompatible with faithful and eff
cicnt administration Of the Govern
mcnt" Later on the House ono
again passed bill repeating the act
this time voting more than six to on
in favor Of its annulmcnt- The Scnat
again refused to concur. 1t had gainc'
the upper hand Of the President. and ]
was not willing to retreat from its posi-
ton. Forty years before this Web
ster, Clay and Calhoun had Tough
the same battle with Andre,
jackson and had failed. Tn
advantage gained Is against Johnso
was not to be abandoned without
struggle. The law might be pcrmittc
to fall into ab.yancc during the al
ministration Of a friendly President